Furniture Covers

ABSTRACT

A convertible furniture cover is provided for covering a furniture seat cushion. The cover fits cushions of a box-style piece of furniture and can be converted by extending an extendable pocket to cover the cushion of a T-style piece of furniture. A furniture cover is also provided for covering both a box-style and a T-style piece of furniture wherein the cover comprises a loop for holding the cover against the front face of an arm of a piece of furniture.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/968,945, which was filed on Mar. 21, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure generally relates to furniture covers and more particularly to furniture covers providing enhanced fit, furniture protection and a reduced need for repositioning. The present disclosure also generally relates to furniture covers and more particularly to furniture covers for covering furniture items wherein the cover is convertible to be configured to cover furniture items of differing furniture styles. The present disclosure also generally relates to furniture covers and more particularly to furniture covers for covering furniture cushions wherein the cover is convertible to be configured to cover furniture cushions of differing shapes from differing furniture styles.

Furniture covers can provide protection for furniture against wear, dirt and other contaminants. Additionally, furniture covers may provide an improved aesthetic appearance for a piece of furniture. Conventional furniture covers do not stay in position when people or pets sit or lay on the furniture the furniture cover is disposed on, and as a result, the aesthetic appearance and protection the furniture cover provides is reduced. Therefore, conventional furniture covers must be frequently repositioned to maintain a consistent aesthetic appearance and protection benefits. Further, there are many different styles of furniture having different shapes. Typically, a furniture cover adapted for one style of furniture is not well suited to cover a different style of furniture with a different shape.

Accordingly, a need exists for improved furniture covers. This, and other needs, may be addressed by one or more aspects of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more preferred embodiments now will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same elements are referred to with the same reference numerals, and wherein:

FIG. 1 a is a front schematic view of a box-style piece of furniture;

FIG. 1 b is a front schematic view of a T-style piece of furniture;

FIG. 2 a is a perspective view of the box-style piece of furniture shown in FIG. 1 a;

FIG. 2 b is a perspective view of the T-style piece of furniture shown in FIG. 1 b;

FIG. 3 a is a top view of a box-style removable furniture seat cushion;

FIG. 3 b is a top view of a T-style removable furniture seat cushion;

FIG. 4 a is a perspective view of the box-style removable furniture seat cushion shown in FIG. 3 a;

FIG. 4 b is a perspective view of the T-style removable furniture seat cushion shown in FIG. 3 b;

FIG. 5 a is a top view of two box-style removable furniture seat cushions shown side-by-side;

FIG. 5 b is a top view of two T-style removable furniture seat cushions shown side-by-side;

FIG. 6 a is a perspective view of the two box-style removable furniture seat cushions shown side-by-side in FIG. 5 a;

FIG. 6 b is a perspective view of the two T-style removable furniture seat cushions shown side-by-side in FIG. 5 b;

FIG. 7 a is a top view of two furniture cushions covers shown side-by-side configured to cover a left and a right T-style furniture cushion;

FIG. 7 b is a top view of the same furniture cushion covers shown in FIG. 7 a, except that the furniture cushion cover is now configured to cover a box-style furniture seat cushion;

FIG. 8 a is a bottom view of a furniture cushion cover;

FIG. 8 b shows the extendable pocket of the furniture in its non-extended position;

FIG. 9 a is a front view of a piece of furniture covered by a furniture cover showing the loop of material of the furniture cover that extends across the front face of the arms;

FIG. 9 b is a front perspective view of the piece of furniture covered by a furniture cover as shown in FIG. 9 a;

FIG. 9 c is a back perspective view of the piece of furniture covered by a furniture cover as shown FIGS. 9 a and 9 b;

FIG. 10 a is a front view showing the arm of a box-style piece of furniture covered by a furniture cover;

FIG. 10 b is a front view showing the arm of a T-style piece of furniture covered by a furniture cover.

FIG. 11 a is a front view showing a full view of a T-style piece of furniture covered by a furniture cover with the seat cushion removed.

FIG. 11 b is a front view showing a full view of a T-style piece of furniture covered by a furniture cover with a seat cushion placed on the furniture base.

FIG. 12 a is a top view of three generally square shaped furniture cushions placed side-by-side.

FIG. 12 b is a top view of two L-shaped furniture cushions having extended portions opposed and with a generally square shaped cushion placed in between the L-shaped cushions.

FIG. 13 a is a top view of a single generally rectangular shaped furniture cushion.

FIG. 13 b is a top view of a single T-shaped furniture cushion with opposed extended portions.

FIG. 14 a is a front view of a box-style piece of furniture having three generally square or rectangular shaped seat cushions.

FIG. 14 b is as front view of a T-style piece of furniture having a generally square or rectangular shaped seat cushion placed between two opposed L-shaped cushions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, with reference to the drawings. The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its implementations, or uses.

In certain embodiments of the present invention, a furniture cover is provided that, while providing protection against wear, dirt and other contaminants can also provide an aesthetic appearance to a piece of furniture. Many aspects and features of the present invention further relate to functional enhancements to a furniture cover, including functional enhancements to a furniture cover that provide for improved fit, stability, and ease of application. Improved stability may reduce the need for repositioning the furniture cover even when people or pets sit or lay on a piece of furniture to which it has been applied, allowing for a consistent aesthetic appearance and protection of the piece of furniture.

Cushion Cover

Many types of furniture comprise one or more removable cushions, such as cushions that comprise the sitting surface or seat of the furniture. Certain aspects of the invention are drawn to a convertible furniture cover that covers the removable seat cushion(s) of both a T-style piece of furniture and a box-style piece of furniture, such as a sofa, loveseat, or armchair. For example, the typical T-style piece of furniture has arms with a front face that are recessed from the front of the piece of furniture including recessed from the front of a seat cushion (FIGS. 1 b and 2 b). Typically the seat cushion of a T-style piece of furniture has an extended portion that extends in front of the arm. This extended portion typically gives the seat cushion an L-shape (FIGS. 3 b and 4 b). In some instances, a single seat cushion can comprise more than one extended portion, such as two opposed extended portions to give the seat cushion a T-shape (FIG. 13 b). Side-by-side orientation of two L-shaped cushions, with the extended portions facing away from each other, also forms the T-shape of the T-style cushion (FIGS. 5 b and 6 b). As shown in FIGS. 12 b and 14 b, for certain T-style pieces of furniture 182 (FIG. 14 b), one or more generally square or rectangular cushions 172 may be placed between two opposed L-shaped cushions 174, 175 such as may be desired for a wide piece of furniture. Further, as shown in FIG. 13 b, for certain pieces of T-style furniture, a single cushion 178 may comprise opposing extended portions 130 such that a single cushion 178 forms a T-shape. A single T-shaped cushion placed on a T-style piece of furniture is shown in FIG. 11 b. In comparison, a box-style piece of furniture has arms with a front face that are generally in the same plane as the front face of the piece of furniture and in the same plane as the front of a seat cushion (FIGS. 1 a and 2 a). Thus, the seat cushion is rectangular without an extended portion extending in front of the front face of the arm (FIGS. 3 a and 4 a). As shown in FIGS. 12 a and 14 a, for certain box-style pieces of furniture 180 (FIG. 14 a), two or more generally square or rectangular cushions 171 may be placed next to each other. Further, as shown in FIG. 13 a, for certain box-style pieces of furniture, a single cushion 176 may comprise the seat cushion of a box-style piece of furniture.

Furniture covers are provided herein that are convertible to fit over either style of cushion for either style of sofa. In particular, certain furniture covers are described having an extendable pocket configured to accommodate the extended portion of cushions of a T-style piece of furniture. The extendable pocket may be folded inward and secured in place to form a cover configured for use with a box-style cushion of a box-style piece of furniture. Thus, the same furniture cover may be used for either box-style or T-style piece of furniture.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-2, a piece of furniture 100, 101 (also referred to herein as a furniture item) comprises one or more seat cushions 102. The piece of furniture 100 is an armed piece of furniture, and as used herein, an armed piece of furniture refers to a piece of furniture that comprises a first arm 106 extending from a back 104 on a first side 116 of the piece of furniture, a second arm 108 extending from the back 104 on a second side 118, and a front 110. The arms 106, 108 extend from the back 104 towards the front 110 of the piece of furniture. In one embodiment, the piece of furniture may be a couch, sofa, bench, chair, or any other piece of furniture with one or more seat cushions, a back and arms.

FIG. 1 a is a front schematic view of a box-style piece of furniture 100 wherein the depth 122 of the seat cushions 102 extending from the back 104 to the front 110 of the piece of furniture is generally equal to the length 124 of the arms 106, 108 extending from the back 104 of the piece of furniture. In such a piece of furniture, the front face 112 of the seat cushions is typically approximately flush with the front 110 of the piece of furniture and the front face 112 of the seat cushions is generally flush with the front face 120 of the arms. Therefore, the seat cushions 102, arms 106, 108, and front 110 of the piece of furniture are generally flush along the front side of the piece of furniture. This arrangement is referred to herein as “box-style,” for example, a box-style sofa. Box-style seat cushions are generally square or rectangular or nearly square or nearly rectangular, such as trapezoidal for example, in shape without significant protrusions or extensions (FIGS. 3 b and 4 b). FIG. 2 a is perspective view showing the box-style piece of furniture 100 of FIG. 1 a.

FIG. 1 b is a front schematic view of a T-style piece of furniture 101 wherein the depth 126 of the seat cushions 103 extending from the back 104 to the front 110 of the piece of furniture is longer than the length 128 of the arms 106, 108 extending from the back 104 of the piece of furniture. In such a piece of furniture, the front face 114 of the seat cushions is typically approximately flush with the front 110 of the piece of furniture, however, the front face 114 of the seat cushions extends beyond the front face 120 of the arms. Therefore, the seat cushions 103, arms 106, 108, and front 110 of the piece of furniture do not all line-up together along the front side of the piece of furniture, but rather the front face 120 of the arms are recessed back from the front face 114 of the seat cushions. Further, the seat cushions 103 comprise an extended portion 130 that extends laterally across the front face 120 of the arms. This arrangement is referred to herein as “T-style,” for example, a T-style sofa. When a left seat cushion 103 and a right seat cushion 103 are placed next to each other as they would correctly be orientated on a piece of furniture, the extended portions 130 of the cushions face away from each other forming a T-shape (FIGS. 1 b and 2 b). Where a piece of furniture only requires one seat cushion, the single seat cushion can comprise a left and a right extended portion and therefore the single seat cushion forms a T-shape. FIG. 2 b is a perspective view showing the T-style piece of furniture 101 of FIG. 1 b.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, FIGS. 3 a and 4 a show a top view and a perspective view, respectively, of a box-style removable furniture seat cushion 132 to which a furniture cushion cover may be configured to be applied. FIGS. 3 b and 4 b show a top view and a perspective view, respectively, of a T-style removable seat cushion 134 with an extended portion 130 to which the same furniture cushion cover may be converted to be configured to be applied. FIGS. 5 a and 6 a show a top view and a perspective view, respectively, of two box-style seat cushions side-by-side 136. FIGS. 6 a and 6 b show a top view and a perspective view, respectively, of two T-style seat cushions side-by-side 138, wherein the extended portions 130 are directed opposite each other such that the overall shape of the two cushions side-by-side 138 is a T-shape. FIGS. 3-4 also show that both box-style and T-style removable furniture seat cushions have a top 140, a bottom 142, and sides 144. The length of the sides defines the length and width of the cushion and the distance between the top and bottom define the height of the cushion. A T-style cushion has a front side 146 (or front face) that is longer across the back side 148 of the cushion.

Certain embodiments of the invention are directed to a furniture cover, also known as a slipcover, for a removable furniture seat cushion. The furniture seat cushion can be either a box-style furniture cushion without significant extensions or a T-style furniture cushion comprising an extended portion extending from the main body of the cushion. The furniture cover comprises a top portion configured to cover the top of a furniture cushion, a bottom portion configured to cover the bottom of a furniture cushion, and side portions configured to cover the sides of a furniture cushion. In one embodiment where the furniture cover is applied to cover a seat cushion, the top portion of the cover is disposed on the top of the cushion, the bottom portion of the cover is below the bottom of the cushion, and the side portions are disposed adjacent to the sides of the furniture cushion. In one embodiment, the furniture cover is constructed with an opening through which a furniture cushion can be inserted. The opening may be secured shut by one or more fasteners and/or the opening may be lined with an elastic material to restrict the opening but allow it to stretch when a cushion is inserted. In one embodiment, the furniture cover may be brought together around the furniture cushion and fastened by one or more fasteners. The fasteners may be a button, snap, buckle, zipper, hook-and-loop, or any other suitable fastener, and the appropriate counterpart to the fasteners where necessary. In at least one embodiment, the fasteners are buttons and the corresponding fastener portions are button-holes or loops. In at least one embodiment, the fastener is a zipper.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the furniture cover 150 also comprises an extendable pocket 132 which is deployable in a first extended position (FIG. 7 a) and a second non-extended position (FIG. 7 b) to allow the furniture cover 150 to convert from being configured to cover a T-style furniture seat cushion (FIG. 7 a) to being configured to cover a box-style furniture seat cushion (FIG. 7 b) and vice versa. When the extendable pocket 152 is deployed in the extended position (FIG. 7 a), the extendable pocket 152 is configured to cover the extended portion of a T-style cushion and the furniture cover 150 overall is configured to cover a T-style cushion. When the extendable pocket is deployed in the non-extended position (FIG. 7 b), the furniture cover 150 overall is configured to cover a box-style seat cushion.

Referring now to FIGS. 7-8, a furniture cushion cover 150 is adaptable or convertible to cover both a box-style furniture seat cushion and a T-style furniture seat cushion. FIG. 7 a shows a top view of two furniture cushion covers 150, side-by-side, configured to cover a left and a right T-style furniture cushion. The furniture cushion cover 150 comprises an extendable pocket 152 that can be deployed in an extended position and configured to cover the extended portion of a T-style furniture cushion. FIG. 7 b shows a top view of the same furniture cushion cover 150 as shown in FIG. 7 a, except that the furniture cushion cover 150 is now configured to cover a box-style furniture seat cushion. In FIG. 7 b, the extendable pocket is deployed in a non-extended position (no longer visible in FIG. 7 b) so that the furniture cushion cover 150 is generally square or rectangular to match the shape of a box-style furniture seat cushion. FIG. 8 a shows a bottom view of a furniture cushion cover 150 showing an opening 154 through which the furniture cushion can be inserted into the cover. The extendable pocket 152 is also visible in FIG. 8 a. FIG. 8 b shows that when the extendable pocket 152 of the furniture cushion cover 150 is deployed in the non-extended position, such as tucked into the cover, it may be secured in place with one or more fasteners 156. The fastener 156 may be a button, snap, buckle, zipper, hook-and-loop, or any other suitable fastener, and may have fastener portions 158 such as the appropriate counterpart to the fasteners 156. In at least one embodiment, the fastener 156 is a button and the corresponding fastener portions are button-loops 158.

Certain aspects for the invention provide for a plurality of furniture seat cushion covers, such as may be packaged together, that individually cover an L-shaped seat cushion of a T-style piece of furniture which is convertible as described herein to cover seat cushions of a box-style piece of furniture. Therefore, the plurality of furniture seat cushion covers would be sufficient to cover the left and right L-shaped seat cushions of a T-style piece of furniture but could also be used with box-style furniture cushions. Certain embodiments provide a plurality of furniture seat cushion covers, such as may be packaged together, that individually cover an L-shaped seat cushions of a T-style piece of furniture which is convertible as described herein to cover seat cushions of a box-style piece of furniture and one or more seat cushion covers only adapted to cover square or rectangular or generally square or rectangular seat cushions, as it may be unnecessary to provide additional convertible cover(s) for use with non-L-shaped cushions of a piece of furniture, even if the furniture is a T-style piece of furniture. Certain embodiments provide for one or more furniture seat cushion covers comprising opposing extendable pockets configured to fit over a T-shaped cushion of a T-style piece of furniture and convertible as described herein to be configured to fit over a generally square or rectangular cushion.

Certain embodiments provide for the use of a single furniture seat cushion cover to cover a plurality of cushions. For example, a single seat cushion cover comprising opposing extendable pockets in their extended positions can be used to cover two opposed L-shaped cushions. For example, a single seat cushion cover comprising opposed extendable pockets in their extended positions can be used to cover two opposed L-shaped cushions having one or more additional cushions placed between them. Certain embodiments provide for a furniture seat cushion cover configured to cover a plurality of cushions, for example in the uses described above. Seat cushion covers capable of covering two opposed L-shaped cushions or capable of covering two opposed L-shaped cushions having one or more additional cushions between them are convertible as described herein to be configured to cover one or more square or rectangular or generally square or rectangular shaped seat cushions, such as those lacking any significant extended portions. Thus, the same seat cushion cover can be used to cover seat cushions associated with either T-style or box-style furniture.

The furniture cushion cover can be constructed in a number of ways using one or more panels of materials. The panels may be permanently affixed together, such as sewn together, to form the cover or may be brought together and reversibly fixed together, such as with fasteners to form the cover. In certain embodiments of the furniture cushion cover, the top, bottom, and side portions of the furniture cover are configured from one continuous piece of material. In certain embodiments of the furniture cushion cover, the top, bottom, and side portions of the furniture cover are configured from a plurality of panels of material. In certain embodiments, the top portion of the furniture cover and the bottom portion of the furniture cover are configured from separate panels of material. In certain embodiments, the sides portions of the furniture cover may be configured from the panel of material comprising the top portion of the cover or the bottom portion of the cover, or the side portions of the cover may be configured from panels of material separate from the top and bottom portion. The furniture cushion cover may be made from any of numerous materials such as fabric or plastic, illustrative examples of which include cotton fabrics, synthetic fabrics, and blends thereof. In one embodiment, the furniture cover 151 may be reversible. In one embodiment, the furniture cover may have a quilted surface. In at least one embodiment, at least a portion of the furniture cushion cover made from is a material with elastic properties. In at least one embodiment, all or most of the cover is made of a material with elastic properties, for example, spandex.

Furniture Item Cover

Certain aspects of the invention are drawn to a furniture cover that fits over the main portions of a furniture item and is suitable for use with either a T-style piece of furniture or a box-style piece of furniture. A T-style piece of furniture has arms with a front face that are recessed from the front of the piece of furniture (FIGS. 1 a and 2 a). In comparison, a box-style piece of furniture has arms with a front face that are in the same plane as the front of the piece of furniture (FIGS. 1 b and 2 b). Furniture covers are provided herein with the ability to accommodate the arms associated with either style of furniture item. In particular, certain furniture covers are described that are formed with an arm panel that may be arranged vertically on the front face of the arm when the furniture cover is applied to the furniture item. For a box-style piece of furniture 100, the furniture cover arm panel 162 extends from the bottom 166 of the base 164 of the front 110 of the furniture item to the top 170 of the arm in a single plane (FIG. 10 a). In a T-style piece of furniture 101, the furniture cover arm panel 162 bends along the horizontal extension portion 131 of the furniture base 164 in front of the arm 106 (FIGS. 10 b and 11 a). In the natural state, the furniture cover arm panel 162 is flat. To hold its shape and/or maintain the furniture cover arm panel 162 in position against the piece of furniture for either style of furniture, a loop 160 extends from the lateral sides 165, 167 of the furniture cover arm panel across the arm panel 162. In at least one embodiment, the loop comprises an elastic fabric. In the box-style (FIG. 10 a), the loop 160 is flush with the front face 120 of the arm and maintains the furniture cover arm panel 162 in a tightly conforming vertical orientation. In the T-style (FIGS. 10 b and 11 a), the loop 160 holds the furniture cover arm panel 162 adjacent the front face 120 of the arm and allows the arm panel 162 to neatly fit on the front 110 of the sofa base 164 and the horizontal extension portion 131 of the base.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-2, a piece of furniture (also referred to herein as a furniture item) 100, 101 is an armed piece of furniture, and as used herein, an armed piece of furniture refers to a piece of furniture that has a first arm 106 extending from a back 104 on a first side 116 of the piece of furniture, a second arm 108 extending from the back 104 on a second side 118, and a front 110. The arms 106, 108 may extend from the back 104 towards the front 110 of the piece of furniture. In one embodiment, the piece of armed furniture may be a couch, sofa, bench, chair, or any other piece of furniture with one or more seat cushions, a back and arms.

FIG. 1 a is a front schematic view of a box-style piece of furniture 100 wherein the depth 122 of the seat cushions 102 (and the base below the cushions) extending from the back 104 to the front 110 of the piece of furniture is generally equal to the length 124 of the arms 106, 108 extending from the back 104 of the piece of furniture. In such a piece of furniture, the front 110 of the piece of furniture is generally flush with the front face 120 of the arms. This arrangement is referred to herein as “box-style,” for example, a box-style sofa. FIG. 2 a is perspective view showing the box-style piece of furniture 100 of FIG. 1 a.

FIG. 1 b is a front schematic view of a T-style piece of furniture 101 wherein the depth 126 of the seat cushions 103 (and the base below the cushions) extending from the back 104 to the front 110 of the piece of furniture is longer than the length 128 of the arms 106, 108 extending from the back 104 of the piece of furniture. In such a piece of furniture, the front 110 of the piece of furniture extends beyond the front face 120 of the arms. This arrangement is referred to herein as “T-style,” for example, a T-style sofa. FIG. 2 b is a perspective view showing the T-style piece of furniture 101 of FIG. 1 b.

Referring now to FIGS. 9-11, a furniture cover 151 for covering a piece of furniture 100, 101 is shown covering a sofa. The piece of furniture has a back 104, a front 110, a base 164, and arms 106, 108 that extend from either side of the back 104 towards the front 110 of the base 164. The furniture arms each have a front face 120.

In certain embodiments, a cover for a furniture item comprises portions configured to cover the back and base of the furniture item; an arm panel configured to cover at least the front face of the arm of the furniture item; and a loop that extends laterally across the arm panel.

FIG. 9 a is a front view showing that the furniture cover 151 has at least one loop of material 160 that, when the cover is placed on the piece of furniture 100 in the position as shown, the loop extends laterally, from the lateral sides 165, 167 of the furniture cover arm panel, across the front face 120 of the arms 106, 108. In certain embodiments, the furniture cover has two loops 160, corresponding to each arm 106, 108 of a piece of furniture with two arms. FIG. 9 b is a front perspective view of the piece of furniture 100 covered by the furniture cover 151 shown in FIG. 9 a. FIG. 9 b further shows how the one or more loops 160 wrap across the front face 120 of the arms 106, 108. FIG. 9 c is a back perspective view of the piece of furniture 100 covered by the furniture cover 151 shown FIGS. 9 a and 9 b.

FIG. 10 a shows in particular detail the arm 108 of a box-style piece of furniture 100 covered by a furniture cover 151. The furniture cover 151 comprises a loop 160 that, when the cover 151 is placed on the piece of furniture 100 in its position as shown, the loop 160 extends laterally across the front face 120 of the arm 108. In at least one embodiment, the furniture cover 151 has an arm panel 162 that is configured to fit over the arm 108 of the piece of furniture. In at least one embodiment, the furniture cover 151 comprises a loop 160 that extends across at least a portion of the furniture cover arm panel 162. As shown for the box-style piece of furniture in FIG. 10 a, the front face 120 of the arm is typically in line with the front 110 of the piece of furniture. Therefore, the front of the arm panel 162 of the furniture cover 151 extends vertically from the bottom 166 of the base 164 of the piece of furniture to the top of the arm 170 in a continuous manner. The loop 160 extends across the front of the furniture arm panel 162, holding it onto the front face 120 of the arm 108.

FIG. 10 b shows in particular detail the arm 106 of a T-style piece of furniture 101 covered by a furniture cover 151. FIG. 11 a shows a full T-style piece of furniture 101 covered by a furniture cover 151. The furniture cover 151 comprises a loop 160 that, when the cover 151 is placed on the piece of furniture 101 in its position as shown, the loop 160 extends across the front face 120 of the arm 106. In at least one embodiment, the furniture cover 151 has an arm panel 162 that is configured to fit over the arm 106 of the piece of furniture. In at least one embodiment, the furniture cover 151 comprises a loop 160 that extends across at least a portion of the furniture cover arm panel 162. As shown for the T-style piece of furniture in FIGS. 10 b and 11 a, the front face 120 of the arm is recessed from the front 110 of the piece of furniture. The base 164 of the piece of furniture has a portion 131 that extends horizontally in front of the front face 120 of the arm. Therefore, the front of the arm panel 162 of the furniture cover 151 extends vertically from the bottom 166 of the base 164 of the piece of furniture, and then extends back to the front face 120 of the arm, and then extends vertically to the top of the arm 170. Without the loop 160, the arm panel 162 of the furniture cover would have a tendency to pull away from the area of recess created by the extended portion 130 relative to the front face 120 of the arm. The loop 160 wraps across the front of the furniture cover arm panel 162, holding it onto the front face 120 of the arm. In at least one embodiment, the loop 160 is made at least partially of an elastic material, such as spandex, to assist in holding the loop 160 securely across the front face 120 of an arm of either a box-style piece of furniture 100 or a T-style piece of furniture 101, even when pets or people sit or lay on the piece of furniture to which the furniture cover has been applied. FIG. 11 b shows the T-style piece of furniture shown in FIG. 11 a, wherein a seat cushion 184 has been placed on the base 164 as would be normal when the piece of furniture is used. The extended portions 130 of the T-style seat cushion obscure the loops 160 (not visible in FIG. 11 b) of the furniture cover 151 that extend across the face 120 of the arms 106, 108.

The furniture item cover 151 can be constructed in a number of ways using one or more panels of materials. The panels may be permanently affixed together, such as sewn together, to form the cover or may be brought together and reversibly fixed together, such as with fasteners to form the cover. In one embodiment, the furniture item cover comprises an elastic border or band that constricts the cover around the base of the furniture item to hold it in place. The furniture item cover may be made from any of numerous materials such as fabric or plastic, illustrative examples of which include cotton fabrics, synthetic fabrics, and blends thereof. In one embodiment, the furniture cover 151 may be reversible. In one embodiment, the furniture cover may have a quilted surface. In at least one embodiment, at least a portion of the furniture cushion cover made from is a material with elastic properties. In at least one embodiment, all or most of the cover is made of a material with elastic properties, for example, spandex.

Based on the foregoing description, it will be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those specifically described herein, as well as many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing descriptions thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to one or more preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for the purpose of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications or equivalent arrangements, the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cover for a furniture cushion, wherein the furniture cushion is one of a box-style furniture seat cushion comprising a generally square or rectangular shape without extensions and a T-style furniture seat cushion comprising an extended portion extending from a generally square or rectangular shape, the cushion cover comprising: a top portion configured to cover the top of the furniture cushion, a bottom portion configured to cover the bottom of the furniture cushion, and side portions configured to cover the sides of the furniture cushion, such that when the cushion cover is applied to the furniture cushion, the cushion cover covers the top, bottom, and sides of the furniture cushion, the cushion cover also comprising an extendable pocket, the extendable pocket deployable in an extended position, wherein when the extendable pocket is deployed in the extended position, the extendable pocket is configured to cover the extended portion of a T-style seat cushion and the cushion cover is configured to cover a T-style seat cushion, the extendable pocket also deployable in a non-extended position, wherein when the extendable pocket is deployed in the non-extended position, the cushion cover is configured to cover a box-style seat cushion.
 2. The cushion cover of claim 1 wherein when the extendable pocket of the cushion cover is deployed in the non-extended position, it may be secured in place with a fastener.
 3. The cushion cover of claim 1 wherein the top, bottom, and side portions of the cover are configured from a plurality of panels of material.
 4. The cushion cover of claim 3 wherein the top portion of the cover and the bottom portion of the cover are configured from separate panels of material.
 5. The cushion cover of claim 3 wherein the side portions of the cover are configured from the same panel of material comprising the top portion of the cover or the bottom portion of the cover.
 6. The cushion cover of claim 3 wherein the side portions of the cover are configured from panels of material separate from the top or bottom portions of the cover.
 7. The cushion cover of claim 1 wherein the cushion cover comprises two opposed extendable pockets.
 8. A cover for a furniture item, where the furniture item comprises a back, a base, and arms, wherein the arms generally extend from lateral sides of the base and the arms have a front face facing away from the back, the furniture item cover comprising: portions configured to cover the back and base of the furniture item; an arm panel configured to cover at least the front face of the arm of the furniture item; and a loop that extends laterally across the arm panel.
 9. The furniture item cover of claim 8 wherein at least a portion of the loop is made from an elastic material.
 10. The furniture item cover of claim 8 wherein when the cover is applied to the furniture item and the arm panel covers at least the front face of the arm of the furniture item, the loop extends laterally across the front face of the arm of the furniture item.
 11. The furniture item cover of claim 10 wherein at least a portion of the loop is made from an elastic material.
 12. The furniture item cover of claim 8, wherein when applied to a T-style piece of furniture having an extended portion of its base extending in front of the front face of an arm, the loop of the cover holds the arm panel against the front face of the arm of the piece of furniture, and below the loop, the arm panel of the cover extends away from the front face of the arm to cover the extended portion.
 13. A plurality of furniture cushion covers, wherein the plurality are packaged for sale together, and wherein the plurality of furniture seat cushion covers comprises at least two furniture cushion covers of claim
 1. 14. The plurality of furniture cushion covers of claim 13, further comprising at least one furniture cushion cover that does not have an extendable pocket.
 15. The plurality of furniture cushion covers of claim 13, further comprising a furniture cover of claim
 8. 